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墨書 Inktalez
Luo Jingxian was originally not part of the Envoy Group, but her identity had been exposed, and the emperor was already aware of it. Trying to conceal it would only draw more attention and lead to unnecessary misunderstandings, so Lo Cheng decided to report her as well, including her in the group.
He was certainly worried about this matter, but now there was no other option; this was the best of a bad situation.
“No way!” The moment Lo Cheng brought the news back to the residence, Liu Yang was the first to stand up in opposition. “The princess's condition hasn’t fully recovered yet. She has been suffering from frequent headaches lately. Forcing her to attend a crowded banquet is just pushing her too hard!”
What if something went wrong and angered the emperor? Wouldn’t Luo Jingxian face punishment for that?
Faced with Liu Yang's strong objections, Lo Cheng felt troubled as well.
“Brother Liu, how could I not have thought of that?” Lo Cheng said helplessly. “The emperor summoned me earlier and specifically mentioned Jingxian. At this point, if we continue to hide, it would be disrespectful to the royal family.”
Having an Exiled Princess in the capital without visiting the emperor was a significant breach of etiquette.
“But what if the princess's condition worsens? Wouldn’t that be even more disrespectful?” Liu Yang raised his greatest concern. This wasn’t just any occasion; it was a royal banquet.
The attendees would be nobility, and even if there were no overt conflicts, it wouldn’t be surprising if they secretly plotted against her.
The Exiled Nation was far away, and even a strong Envoy Group couldn’t easily suppress local powers. Even though Luo Jingxian held the title of princess, it didn’t mean these people would show her any respect.
This issue was indeed one that everyone had considered deeply, yet there seemed to be no solution. Luo Jingxian’s health had been fluctuating for quite some time; it wasn’t something that could be resolved with mere words.
Lo Cheng hesitated before saying, “I do have an idea, but it involves troubling Miss Ye.”
His plan was quite simple: he wanted Ye Xiaohan to accompany Luo Jingxian to the banquet. Firstly, Luo Jingxian trusted Ye Xiaohan greatly; having her by her side would help stabilize her emotions.
Moreover, Ye Xiaohan was an exceptionally skilled doctor. In case anything went wrong during the gathering, her presence would ensure a timely response.
"Miss Ye, I know this request is a bit excessive," Lo Cheng said as he bowed to Ye Xiaohan. "But right now, my hands are tied, and I can think of no other way. I can only ask for your help."
Ye Xiaohan had never held much fondness for the powerful elite, and those present could sense her disdain. Especially after the recent incident involving the Shangyang Princess, which nearly turned into a tragedy; without Ye Xiaohan's intervention, their dissatisfaction with the nobility in the capital would have been even greater.
Thus, it took considerable courage for Lo Cheng to voice his request.
"Your Highness, this is quite inappropriate," Gu Bei immediately rejected the idea. "For one thing, we are stuck at the invitation itself. Xiao Han has never shown interest in such matters; what identity could she possibly use to blend in?"
In truth, this was merely an excuse; deep down, Gu Bei did not want Ye Xiaohan to be put in a difficult position. She harbored a strong aversion towards the royal family and always wore a sour expression whenever she encountered the Shangyang Princess.
"That's fine."
However, just as Gu Bei was about to refuse outright, they heard Ye Xiaohan's response—she agreed.
"Xiao Han!" Gu Bei looked at Ye Xiaohan in disbelief. "You don't have to force yourself. If you don't want to go, just say so. We can think of another way."
Yet Ye Xiaohan calmly nodded at Lo Cheng. "I'll go; just help me prepare an identity to blend in."
"Thank you!" Lo Cheng exclaimed with surprise and gratitude. He hadn't held out much hope and was astonished that Ye Xiaohan had readily agreed.
Gu Bei wanted to persuade her further but fell silent upon meeting Ye Xiaohan's gaze.
She had already made up her mind.
Well, Gu Bei sighed inwardly and said, "In that case, I'll take care of the entrance. I'll go to the Emperor and ask for his permission for the princess to bring someone along."
Luo Jingxian's condition had long been reported, and the Emperor was well aware of it.
So when Gu Bei went to make the request, the Emperor readily agreed.
Thus, Ye Xiaohan accompanied Luo Jingxian to the welcoming banquet.
Fortunately, Luo Jingxian's condition was nearly normal when she wasn't stimulated. Moreover, Lo Cheng had been diligent in teaching her the etiquette of Exiled Nation and Dongchuan, so at this moment, she appeared quite dignified, embodying the grace of a princess.
The Emperor and others knew about Luo Jingxian's illness and did not deliberately make things difficult for her; instead, they slightly relaxed their expectations. As a result, Luo Jingxian managed to get through the event with some effort.
The banquet consisted of singing, dancing, and various performances. To Ye Xiaohan, it was utterly boring. Especially since these people were more interested in using this opportunity to climb the social ladder than enjoying the wine.
Ye Xiaohan looked around at the insincere faces filling the room and couldn't help but feel a bit frustrated. Luo Jingxian was equally bored; after eating for a while, she simply sat there in a daze.
Eventually, Ye Xiaohan decided to pull Luo Jingxian away under some pretext and slipped out of the banquet to get some fresh air in the Imperial Garden.
"It's much better outside!" Ye Xiaohan stretched her body. "The air inside is almost polluted with all that waste!"
Luo Jingxian reached out to brush against various flowers and plants, seemingly finding it quite interesting.
"Don't touch that, it has thorns on it and will prick your hand!" Ye Xiaohan exclaimed as she reached for her waist, where she had a hidden pocket sewn in by someone she had asked. Inside were some handkerchiefs and similar items.
As a modern person, Ye Xiaohan's biggest complaint about ancient women’s clothing was the lack of pockets, making it so inconvenient to carry things.
It was nothing like her previous outfits in the modern world, where she loved her denim jacket with pockets everywhere.
"Eh?" Ye Xiaohan was surprised as she pulled everything out of the pocket.
There should have been a jade token inside, which Gu Bei had given her before she came. It was something Gu Bei always carried, often symbolizing his presence.
Gu Bei had been worried about whether the banquet would go smoothly, so he gave the jade token to Ye Xiaohan as a precaution, providing an extra layer of protection.
However, it was no longer with Ye Xiaohan.
"Oh no, if someone else finds this, I wonder if it will have a bad impact on Gu Bei!" Ye Xiaohan instructed Luo Jingxian, "I’ll go back along the way to see if I accidentally dropped it somewhere. You stay here and don’t wander off."
After receiving a firm reply from Luo Jingxian, Ye Xiaohan retraced her steps to look for the jade token. Fortunately, they hadn’t gone too far, and she quickly found it on the road.
"It really did fall here." Ye Xiaohan hurriedly picked it up, cleaned it off, then pulled a few threads from a jade ornament at her waist to thread through the jade token before putting it back in place.
Then she quickly returned. Leaving Luo Jingxian alone in an unfamiliar place made her feel uneasy.
Before Ye Xiaohan could reach her original spot, she heard some strange noises from afar. A sense of foreboding surged within her.
"Princess!" Ye Xiaohan ran over, and the frantic woman in front of her was none other than Luo Jingxian.
Ye Xiaohan quickly stopped her, forcefully dragging her to the side, only to notice that the dark figure lying on the ground was actually a person.
"Cough, cough!" The shadow struggled for a moment, exerting effort to push itself up from the ground.
Once he stood up, Ye Xiaohan could hardly believe he was human. The lanterns in the Imperial Garden were fewer than those at the banquet, casting a much dimmer light.
In the faint illumination, Ye Xiaohan could only see that this person's face was unrecognizable, swollen like a pig's head, making it impossible to discern any original features.
"You have some nerve to beat up the Crown Prince!" After standing up, the shadow pointed at them and shouted loudly before he had even steadied himself.
It was only then that Ye Xiaohan realized that the person who had been beaten was none other than Crown Prince Murong Cheng!
A shock ran through Ye Xiaohan as she wondered what had happened during her brief absence. How did the Crown Prince end up here, and why had Luo Jingxian, who had seemed fine before, suddenly lost all rationality?
The Crown Prince continued to shout, and soon a Courtier heard the commotion and came over to inquire.
Ye Xiaohan tightly held onto Luo Jingxian, who still wanted to charge forward, while Murong Cheng seethed with anger. In her mind, only one thought remained.
This is bad; we've gotten ourselves into trouble!
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